Delta community accuses firm of bullying residents with police assistance

ASABA—THE people of Ovre-Eku community, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, alleged that Edo State-based Presco Plc Nigeria was hoodwinking security agents to arrest and intimidate Urhobo indigenes, along the River Ethiope axis in Delta, ostensibly to appropriate their community land for the Binis of Edo State.

Chief Felix Okotie, spokesperson to the President-General of Ovre-Eku, Chief Joseph Ukueku, in a statement denying the allegation by Presco that the community’s chief priest, Mono Orie, arrested by policemen from Zone 5, Benin City, on Wednesday, invaded the company’s plantation to bury charms, said Presco fabricated falsehood.

His words: “It will be recalled that in recent times, Presco has been misleading the Nigeria Police, particularly the Edo State Command and Zone 5 Police to arrest, intimidate and harass the Urhobo along the River Ethiope axis in a bid to annex the community’s land for the Bini people of Edo State.

“Many Ovre-Eku leaders have been arrested and in some cases, charged to court in Edo State for crimes only known to Presco. On March 2, some policemen from Zone 5, in a midnight raid, arrested elders of Ovre Eku community, which paved way for management of Presco to bulldoze over 70 per cent of Ovre Eku farmland.”